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The Regulation of Replication Initiation in Eukaryotes

The entire genome must be faithfully copied exactly once before cell division. We are interested in how this copying process - termed DNA replication - is regulated.

Understanding this process is important because failure to duplicate the genome accurately, in every cell division, leads to the mutations that are the root cause of cancer. As a result, DNA replication is strictly regulated within the cell cycle, in response to stress and during animal development. We are interested in the molecular mechanisms of these different levels of regulation - see Research Pages.

Our Research

DNA replication is a fundamental requirement for virtually every organism. To understand the basic biology of replication regulation we study several model organisms including budding yeast (S. cerevisiae), the nematode worm (C. elegans) and cultured human cancer cells. In particular we are interested in how a group of proteins, called the pre-IC (Pre-Initiation Complex) regulate replication initiation. - see Research Pages.

The Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge provides a perfect environment to combine the genetic and biochemical analysis of the pre-IC in a variety of organisms.